Recipe for LARP arrows:
Arrow shafts with BLUNT pilings. That's flat ends to you oiks. POC is preferred.
Soft foam - upholstery foam is good.
Firm foam - Plastazote, etc, the rigid gun-case stuff.
Scrap denim.
Mighty glue - Evo-stik etc.
A 2" cutter - use a can opener to take the bottom off an old deodorant can, for example.
2" is a good diameter because it's bigger than your eye socket.
The striking face is about 50mm of soft foam. For crossbow bolts, 25mm is okay.
Then you have one layer of hard foam.
Then you have a layer of denim. This is to prevent the arrow shaft punching through. It is essential!
Then you have a couple more layers of hard foam with a 6mm hole to accomodate the arrow shaft.
And finally taper the structure back with either a fancypants cone, or a stepped set of rings, or some neato vanes, between 45 and 30 degrees, so the whole thing is solid.
You may finish it with latex, but not on the striking face -- if the head is sealed airtight, it loses some squoosh and that's bad. Waterproofing isn't so important, just quiver them in a bag head-down.
Glue to the arrow shaft with your preferred adhesive.
When fletching, use big, high-drag flights - whole feathers cut 3-4" x 1" or so. You've got to establish stability fast or the tail flobbles around and long-range (50m) accuracy is wretched. Plus, big flights are cinematic.
We used to shoot these point-blank into each other's faces from time to time. Not deliberately, of course...
